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US20100200019A1 - Method for the internal cleaning of a clothes washing machine - Google Patents

Method for the internal cleaning of a clothes washing machine Download PDF

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Publication number
US20100200019A1
US20100200019A1 US12/666,815 US66681508A US2010200019A1 US 20100200019 A1 US20100200019 A1 US 20100200019A1 US 66681508 A US66681508 A US 66681508A US 2010200019 A1 US2010200019 A1 US 2010200019A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
water
tank
stage
washing
outflow
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US12/666,815
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Ricardo Prioli
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Whirlpool SA
Original Assignee
Whirlpool SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Family has litigation
First worldwide family litigation filed litigation Critical https://patents.darts-ip.com/?family=40226559&utm_source=google_patent&utm_medium=platform_link&utm_campaign=public_patent_search&patent=US20100200019(A1) "Global patent litigation dataset” by Darts-ip is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Application filed by Whirlpool SA filed Critical Whirlpool SA
Publication of US20100200019A1 publication Critical patent/US20100200019A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B9/00—Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto
    • B08B9/08—Cleaning containers, e.g. tanks
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F35/00—Washing machines, apparatus, or methods not otherwise provided for
    • D06F35/005—Methods for washing, rinsing or spin-drying
    • D06F35/006—Methods for washing, rinsing or spin-drying for washing or rinsing only
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00 
    • D06F39/08—Liquid supply or discharge arrangements

Definitions

  • This invention refers to a method for the automatic performance of an internal cleaning operation of a clothes washing machine of the type consisting of a fixed tank within which a rotating basket mounted, generally perforated, in order to hold the load of clothes to be washed, with the liquids used during the washing and rinsing stages being removed from the inside of the tank by an electric pump whose outflow pipe is connected to a drain pipe in a rising position, with the end of the outflow pipe positioned at a the same height or slightly higher than the maximum water level in the tank of the machine.
  • automatic clothes washing machines are designed to automatically wash the load of clothes placed in the basket of the machine, through a sequence of stages that encompasses:
  • a water feed device normally an electric valve that is usually kept closed, mounted on a feed pipe, to be connected to the pressurized water network and generally fitted with a flow control valve, in order to a rated water inflow range, regardless of any variation in the pressure of the water supply network, within certain limits.
  • the outflow electric pump is switched on in order to expel the washing liquid from the tank, through the drainage pipe or hose, with its lower end being connected to the outflow pipe of the outflow electric pump and its upper outlet being positioned higher, generally level with the upper part of the tank of the machine.
  • Another negative aspect related to the backflow of the column of washing liquid into the tank is related to fact that the dirt suspended or diluted therein (foam, particulate residues, threads, etc.) returns to the clothes that await rinsing, with adverse effects on the washing standards to be attained.
  • Yet another negative aspect related to the backflow of the column of washing liquid into the tank is related to fact that the dirt and detergent contained in the washing liquid tend to adhere to the bottom of the tank and the basket progressively, as well as sticking inside the electric pump and the drain pipe, resulting in an increasingly thick encrustation that is hard to remove later.
  • the previous technique proposes some solutions for the cleaning the inside of the machine by specific cleaning operations that are separate and independent of the washing operation usually performed by the machine.
  • This prior cleaning method does not take place during the normal washing operation of the machine, as occurs with the method addressed by this invention, instead requiring a specific operation by the machine in order to clean it, with no load of clothes.
  • an objective of this invention is to provide a method for the internal cleaning of a clothes washing machine of the type under consideration here, which prevents the backflow of the above-mentioned column of washing liquid, without requiring any modification to the construction of the components of the washing machine, and can be put into practice through modifying the command instructions produced by a control unit.
  • the method in question is applied to a clothes washing machine of the type described in the discussion of the previous technique, with a control unit that is operationally connected to the water feed device, the motor unit and the outflow electric pump, switching them on during the washing operation that encompasses the usual stages of supplying of water and washing with five stirring stages, for example, draining the washing liquid, rinsing with a fresh supply of water, draining the rinsing water and optionally spin-drying the load of clothes and draining the resulting liquid, as already defined.
  • the washing operation also encompasses a cleaning stage, as a continuation of stage draining off the washing liquid, with an additional inflow of water into the tank through switching on the water feed device, and a outflow of this water through switching on the outflow electric pump, with the additional inflow and outflow of water for the cleaning stage being retained during a period sufficient for all the washing liquid trapped in drain pipe at the end of the washing stage to be pumped out.
  • the method proposed above may be implemented through a simple alteration to the operating instructions sent by the control unit to the water feed device and the electric outflow pump, allowing the column of washing liquid in the drain pipe to be expelled from the machine before starting the rinse cycle.
  • FIG. 1 represents a simplified schematic vertical cross-section of clothes washing machine of the type to the method covered by this invention is applied.
  • FIG. 2 represents the sequence of the stages of the method covered by this invention, in a block diagram.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional clothes washing machine 10 of the top-loading type, fitted with a casing 11 , normally metal.
  • Casing 11 has a supporting foot 12 on each of its corners, to support it on the ground.
  • the machine 10 includes a control panel 20 , generally mounted on the casing 11 and fitted with different switches, not described here as they do not form part of this invention and through which the user can select the various functions of the machine.
  • the machine in question also encompasses a control unit 30 , generally fitted inside the control panel 20 and that is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 , with the above-mentioned control unit 30 being built so that it can be properly programmed in order to control the operation of various components and the respective functions of the machine, as will be described in the course of this Report.
  • a control unit 30 generally fitted inside the control panel 20 and that is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 , with the above-mentioned control unit 30 being built so that it can be properly programmed in order to control the operation of various components and the respective functions of the machine, as will be described in the course of this Report.
  • a tank 40 is suspended inside the casing 11 , sized to receive and hold a load of water to be pumped into the machine during the various operating phases of its operation.
  • a basket 50 is mounted in the tank 40 , generally but not necessarily perforated, which may be rotated by a motor unit 60 around its geometric axis that, on the illustrated configuration of a top-loading machine is placed vertically.
  • the a top-loading machine 10 is illustrated with a casing 11 , fitted inside with a tank 40 , it must be understood that different types of construction may be used for the machine 10 , not necessarily top-loading and with the tank not necessarily being defined as a structure suspended inside the casing 11 .
  • the tank 40 is suspended inside the casing 11 by several suspension rods 15 , which are connected underneath to the tank 40 , and above to the casing 11 , as schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 and as is well-known in the technique
  • suspension rods 15 are provided, equally spaced among themselves at around 90° around the tank 40 , in the gap between it and the casing 11 .
  • the motor unit 60 is generally assembled on the containment drum 40 , consisting of a motor 61 and a switching mechanism 62 , of adequate construction, generally of the belt and pulley type, operationally linked to the basket 50 in order to rotate it during the various operating phases of the machine 10 . As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the motor unit 60 is operationally connected to the control unit 30 , which commands it during the different operating stages of the machine 10 .
  • the machine 10 in question also encompasses a water feed device 80 to supply water to the tank 40 , with the above-mentioned water feed device 80 generally defined by an electro-valve 81 mounted on a pipe 82 arranged inside the machine 10 , for connection to the pressurized water network, not illustrated in the appended drawings as it is not part of this invention and is an assembly array that is well-known in the technique.
  • the water feed device 80 is operationally connected to the control unit 30 , which will command the different stages of the washing operation, as will be discussed below.
  • the machine 10 to which the method in question is applied also encompasses an electric outflow pump 90 assembled in the casing 11 , so that its suction device is connected to a region at the bottom of the tank 40 in order to suction out all the liquid in the tank 40 when not in operation, with the electric outflow pump 90 being fitted with an outflow pipe connected to a drain pipe 95 , generally defined as a hose made from flexible elastomers material that is arranged in an upflow position, with its lower end being connected to the outflow pipe of the outflow electric pump and its upper end being positioned higher, generally level with the upper part of the tank 40 of the machine.
  • a drain pipe 95 generally defined as a hose made from flexible elastomers material that is arranged in an upflow position, with its lower end being connected to the outflow pipe of the outflow electric pump and its upper end being positioned higher, generally level with the upper part of the tank 40 of the machine.
  • the washing operation of a machine encompasses an indicial stage when, after the load of clothes to be washed has been placed in the basket 50 , the first pre-determined quantity of water flows into the tank 40 through switching on the water feed device 80 through an instruction from the control unit 30 , in order to form a washing liquid.
  • the stage when the first amount of water flows into the tank 40 is conducted in order to carry the load of detergent that forms the washing liquid, through a constructive and functional device that is well-known in the technique.
  • the first pre-determined quantity of water that flows into the tank 40 is defined by the operating design of the machine and guaranteed by different means that are well-known, in order to ensure that the first pre-determined amount of water, the unit 30 instructs the water feed device 80 to halt the above-mentioned inflow.
  • the motor unit 60 will be instructed by the control unit 30 to start a washing stage with the load of clothes, for example, through agitation in the basket 50 for a certain length of time for the washing cycle, pre-determined by the design of the machine.
  • the load of clothes is agitated by a stirrer or spindle 70 assembled in the basket 50 whose rotation switched on by the motor unit 60 .
  • the load of clothes may be agitated by the controlled spin of the basket 50 by the motor unit 60 when instructed to operate in this manner by the control unit 30 .
  • the control unit 30 instructs the electric outflow pump 90 to start the washing liquid drainage stage by suctioning the washing liquid away from the region at the bottom of the tank 40 and pumping it out through the drain pipe 95 .
  • the electric outflow pump 90 ceases to pump it, allowing a column of washing liquid to remain in the drain pipe 95 that has not yet been pumped out of the machine.
  • a cleaning stage is provided that defines a continuation of the washing liquid drainage stage, consisting of an additional inflow of water into the tank 40 through switching on the water feed device 80 by an instruction from the control unit 30 , and pumping out this water by switching on the electric outflow pump 90 also by an instruction from the control unit 30 .
  • this additional cleaning stage takes place at the end of the washing liquid drainage stage, with the control unit 30 simply instructing the water feed device 80 to provide an additional inflow of water into the tank 40 .
  • the electric outflow pump 90 may continue to operate, with the additional inflow and outflow of water for the cleaning stage being retained during a period sufficient to pump out all the washing liquid remaining in the drain pipe 95 at the end of the washing stage.
  • the introduction of the above-mentioned additional cleaning stage means that, at the end of the washing stage by stirring, for example, the additional quantity of water flows into the tank 40 while the electric outflow pump 90 continues to operate, allowing the clean water flowing into the tank 40 to be pumped out by the electric outflow pump 90 , forcing the column of washing liquid trapped in the drain pipe 95 out of the machine and preventing the above-mentioned column of washing liquid containing detergent and impurities from flowing back into the machine at the end of the washing stage, as occurs with the solutions known to date.
  • the additional cleaning stage may be take place with the basket 50 in a stationary condition or with the basket 50 rotated by the motor unit 60 , instructed by the control unit 30 , rotating rapidly in order to spin-dry the clothes and remove any washing water that may be left inside it, with this rotation of the basket continuing while the additional supply of clean water flows into the tank 40 and for the period during which the electric outflow pump 90 continue to operate, pumping out the all the washing liquid resulting from spin-drying the load of clothes and also that trapped in the in the drain pipe 95 .
  • control unit 30 halts the inflow of clean water through the water feed device 80 and also halts the operation of the electric outflow pump 90 , whereby only an amount of water remains in the drain pipe 95 that is practically free from detergent and dirt in the washing liquid.
  • the control unit 30 instructs the water feed device 80 to supply a second inflow of water into the tank 40 , forming a rinsing water for a subsequent rinsing stage of the load of clothes.
  • the inflow of the second amount of water is halted by switching off the water feed device 80 , commanded by an instruction from the control unit 30 .
  • the control unit 30 instructs the electric outflow pump 90 to start-up operations in order to pump out all the rinsing water from the tank 40 through the drain pipe 95 .
  • the inflow of the second amount of water into the tank 40 for the rinsing stage may be take place in order for this second amount of water to carry in the load of fabric softener in order to form the rinsing water, through a constructive and functional device that is well-known in the technique.
  • the operation of the machine in question may also optionally include a spin-dry stage for the load of clothes, which normally occurs, through switching on the motor unit 60 to spin the basket 50 , draining of the rinsing water resulting from this spin-dry stage through switching on the outflow pump 90 , instructed by the control unit 30 .
  • the method in question may also encompass an additional cleaning stage as a continuation of the spin-drying stage of the load of clothes already rinsed with fabric softener, through which the control unit 30 instructs the water feed device 80 to provide another supply of water to tank 40 , with this water pumped out by an instruction from the electric outflow pump 90 to switch on, with the above-mentioned additional water supply and the concomitant draining stage maintained for a period sufficient for all the rinsing water remaining in the drain pipe 95 at the end of the rinsing stage to be pumped out, preventing the first amount of water used in a subsequent washing operation of the machine being mixed with column of rinsing water trapped in the drain pipe 95 at the end of the previous washing operation.
  • FIG. 1 indicates an inflow of water into the basket 50 , it must be understood that the inflow of the first and second amounts of water and also the cleaning water may take place inside at least one of the parts defined by the basket 50 , the gap between the basket 50 and tank 40 and also the region at the bottom of the basket 50 .

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Detail Structures Of Washing Machines And Dryers (AREA)
  • Control Of Washing Machine And Dryer (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
US12/666,815 2007-06-29 2008-06-30 Method for the internal cleaning of a clothes washing machine Abandoned US20100200019A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BRPI0702144-5A BRPI0702144A2 (pt) 2007-06-29 2007-06-29 mÉtodo para limpeza interna de uma mÁquina lavadora de roupas
BRPI0702144-5 2007-06-29
PCT/BR2008/000181 WO2009003258A2 (en) 2007-06-29 2008-06-30 Method for the internal cleaning of a clothes washing machine

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20100200019A1 true US20100200019A1 (en) 2010-08-12

Family

ID=40226559

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US12/666,815 Abandoned US20100200019A1 (en) 2007-06-29 2008-06-30 Method for the internal cleaning of a clothes washing machine

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US20100200019A1 (es)
AR (1) AR067150A1 (es)
BR (1) BRPI0702144A2 (es)
CL (1) CL2008001892A1 (es)
PE (1) PE20090527A1 (es)
UY (1) UY31187A1 (es)
WO (1) WO2009003258A2 (es)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN104480669A (zh) * 2014-11-14 2015-04-01 西安交通大学 一种等离子体雾化用于洗衣消毒的装置和方法
US9121124B2 (en) 2012-01-19 2015-09-01 General Electric Company Vertical axis washing machine appliance with features for applying steam to articles and related methods
US10416089B1 (en) * 2016-07-12 2019-09-17 Center For Pharmaceutical Cleaning Innovation Corp System and method for validating cleanliness of a surface
US11236460B2 (en) * 2016-04-18 2022-02-01 Lg Electronics Inc. Drain pump driving apparatus and laundry treatment machine including the same

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5233718A (en) * 1992-01-02 1993-08-10 Whirlpool Corporation Tumble method of rinsing fabric in a horizontal axis washer

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5199127A (en) * 1992-01-02 1993-04-06 Whirlpool Corporation Method for rinsing fabric articles in a vertical axis washer
CA2142687A1 (en) * 1994-02-22 1995-08-23 Dale E. Mueller Method of rinsing in a vertical axis washer
US7017217B2 (en) * 2002-07-22 2006-03-28 General Electric Company Washing machine rinse cycle method and apparatus

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5233718A (en) * 1992-01-02 1993-08-10 Whirlpool Corporation Tumble method of rinsing fabric in a horizontal axis washer

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9121124B2 (en) 2012-01-19 2015-09-01 General Electric Company Vertical axis washing machine appliance with features for applying steam to articles and related methods
CN104480669A (zh) * 2014-11-14 2015-04-01 西安交通大学 一种等离子体雾化用于洗衣消毒的装置和方法
US11236460B2 (en) * 2016-04-18 2022-02-01 Lg Electronics Inc. Drain pump driving apparatus and laundry treatment machine including the same
US10416089B1 (en) * 2016-07-12 2019-09-17 Center For Pharmaceutical Cleaning Innovation Corp System and method for validating cleanliness of a surface

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AR067150A1 (es) 2009-09-30
PE20090527A1 (es) 2009-05-24
UY31187A1 (es) 2009-01-30
BRPI0702144A2 (pt) 2009-02-17
WO2009003258A2 (en) 2009-01-08
WO2009003258A3 (en) 2010-01-28
CL2008001892A1 (es) 2009-03-13

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